Apparatus for extinguishing forest fires



Jlrll'le 7, RALElGH S 2,119,962

l APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHI-NG FOREST FIRES Filed March 2. 1936 2Sheets-Sheet 1 III/Ill,

Jahn Raleigh- @www @HOW/gw."

`Fune 7,v 1938. -.1. RALEIGH 2,119,962

APPARTUS FOR EXTIN'GUSHING FOREST FIRES Filed March 2, 1956 2sheets-sheet 2 i @j y i /wuemom 1J nhn Rale gh..

@Komm/7^ Patented June 7, 1938 UNITED STATES APPARATUS* FonEXTINGUisnING FOREST FIRES John aleigh, Peshtigo, Wis. Application March2, 1936, seiai No. 66,682 2 claims. (o1. 147-169) This inventionappertains toiire lighting apparatus, and more particularly to a novelmethod and means for extinguishing forest lires.

Generally, forest fires start from a single point and travel in' anarrow lane rapidly from said point in the directionof the wind. Thisburnin-g lane then less rapidly broadens out lat'- erally inbothdirections'.

Due to the inaccessibility of water in forests, other methods thanfighting the iire with water have to be resorted to. Generally, lanesare dug in an effort to cut 01T the lire'. Due' to brush, timber, etc.,the use of power machinery for this purpose isV practically useless.

It is, therefore, one of the primary' objects of my invention to providea light portable device Which can be easily handled and manipulated by asingle person in a forest to effectively bring about the controlling ofaV nre therein;

Another salientl object of my invention is to provide a portabledevice', which can be readily manipulated alongside. the re, embodyinga` ro`- tary digging member for loosening and throwing dirt, sand, andthe like from the ground onto the burning brush,V etc., to effectivelysmother and put out the fire.

A further object of my invention is to pro-vide means for digging upsand and the like vfrom the ground and for throwing vthe same withconsiderable force against the fire. u

Al further important object of my invention is the provision of meanswhereby the machine can be easily guided and tilted, so that the sand ordirt can be directed rather high ontothe burning bushes, etc., orstraight out on a fire burning close to the ground. y y

Another' further object of my invention is the provision ofV means forassociating diiferent types of rotary diggers with Vthe machine',wherebymore or less sand or dirt,` can be supplied to the fan blowerl accordingto the character of the fire being fought. v K

A further object of my invention is the provision of novel means forsuspending and carry- 455i" ing a light portable internal combustionengine from the back of a personforoperating various appliances, such asa lire fighting device.

A still further objectief my'invention is tol provide aflreghting'apparatus of the abo-ve char- 500acter, which will be'durable and vefcient'in use,

one that is simple and easy to manufacture, and' one which can be placedupon the market at a reasonable cost.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel construction, ar-

rangement, and formatinlof parts, as will be hereinafter morespecifically described, claimed, and illustrated, in the accompanyingdrawings, in which drawings:

Figure l isv a' complete View showing my improved device in use.

Figure 2 is an enlarged, detail, fragmentary side elevation of thebottoni part of my improved device, with parts thereof broken away andin sectionv to `illustrate structural details.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken substantially on the line 3 3 ofFigure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 isv aside elevationI illustrating a modi'- ed form of diggerassociated with the driving shaft and fan.

Figure' is a detail section taken substantially on the line V5`5 ofFigure 4, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure' 6'is` a section similar to Figure 5, but taken on the line 6 6of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a front elevation ofV my novel backstrap`v for carrying theinternal combustion engine. v

Figure '8 is a fragmentary detail view illustratingA another form ofmeans for holding the protectingV hood in Y place.

*'r'teferring,L to* the drawings in' detail, wherein similar referencecharacters designate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views,the letter A generally indicates my improved forest reiightin'gapparatus, which comprises a light portable'jhand device ,for digging upand spraying sand, dirt, and the like against the burning brush.

This light portable hand device includes a substantially verticallydisposed tubular ksupporting casingv IIJ, which rotatablycarries themain drive shaft II. .Suitable anti-friction bearings can beinterposed'between the casing and the shaft, and the upperA end of theshaft is adapted to have detachably coupledthereto a eXible drive shaftI2, which canbedriven from the crank-shaft I3 of a light portableinternal combustionl engine I4.

Rigidlyv conne'ctedi'to the lower endv of the casing I El by me'ansofa'collar I5 andjbrackets I6, is a depending hoodor thrower casing I1having an outlet I8' at its periphery. Thedrive shaft II` extendsthrough the hood or thrower casing I'I, and ,is adaptedr to haveVconnected therewith the-thro'wery fan and a digger 20.

`'.Ihe fan- I9 is arrangedlab'ove the` digger 20 and in Vthe'h'ood 0r`throvver casing I1, and this fan can be secured to' the shaft II in anydesired manner. In the present instance, I have shown y 2l Y l 2,119,962

' to the loop 36'by means of a snap hook.39.

the fan to include "outwardly extending blades 2l formed on or securedto a collar 22, which is attached to the lower end of the shaft II 'bymeans of a bolt 23. y

'Ihe digger 20, as shown inFigures 1, 2, and 3, is in the nature of anauger, and the shank Vof the digger is connected to the shaft in anypreferred manner. In the drawings, which represent only one example yofmy device, the upper end of the augercarries a tang 24, which can bereceivedfin a socket formed in the lower end of the shaft, and the bolt23 vcan be utilized fo holding the tang in position.Y Frmly connectedwith the tubular casing I0 is a manipulating handle 25,`which can beprovided with hand grips 26 and 21 for the operator.

The lower end of the vhandle 25 is pivotally connected to the casing I0adjacent to its lower end by means of a pivot bolt 28, and the handlehas slidably mounted thereon a cuff 25J.,r This cuff is in turnpivotally connected to the cas,- ing IU adjacent to its upper end bymeans of a link 30. y n

The. link 39 has its opposite ends pivotally connected to the cuff 29and the casing Iii by means of bolts 3l and 32. The cuif is held in anadjusted position on the handle 29 by means of a set screw or the like33. Obviously, by shifting the cuff 29 longitudinally j of the handle,the angular position of Vthe handle can be varied with respecttorthe'casing I0,

able padscan be utilized to cushion the mainl strap on the back of thewearer. One end of the main strap 35 carries a loop 36, which isvdisposed on the chest of the wearer, and the other end of the main strapcarries a snap hook'3'I, which `is adapted to be fastened. to the loop.Sewed or otherwise rigidly securedV to the main strap is a supplementalstrap 38,`which is adapted'to extend under the left-hand armpit oftheoperator, and this, strapY is adapted to Vbe connected I That por'tionof the strap 35 directly in rear of the right-hand armpit of theoperator carries an eye or loop AIB-to which is suspended, by-means ofa'suitable coupling 4I, the motor I4.' Thus, I

the motor is carried on the rear right-.hand side of theoperator, andthe flexible drive shaft I2V extends forwardly and downwardly from theen` gine;

Great stress is laid on the method of carryv ing the engine, as theengine can be utilized when hood I1, where the same is caught by the re-Obviously, the tool can be Vtilted from one side or the other in orderto effectively control the path of the sand and they like thrown out theopening I8, and thus the sand and the like can be directed onto highor'low-burning fires.

With my apparatus, I am enabledto quickly check and bring Vforest firesunder control with a minimum amount of effort on the part of anoperator.

Obviously, various changes can be made from the broad example shown anddescribed, and different types of diggers can be employed other than theauger V20.

In Figures 4, 5, and 6, I have illustrated another type of digger, whichis adapted'to supply a relatively large quantity of sand and the like tothe fan blades and hood'.

This digger consists-of radially extending blades 4I) having their outeredges tapered downwardly and curved in opposite directions, as at 4I.The

lower ends of the blades are of a substantially iishtail bit shape. f

Inv use of the device with this type of digger, the blades are forcedinto the ground by the operator and the curved edges 4I will rapidlybite into the ground and carrying a relatively.`

great quantity of sand and dirt to the thrower blades. f'

It is to be noted that the cenar l5 is secured in place byV a set screwI5. By loosening the Q set screw I5 the collar I5 'and the hood I'I canbe turned so that the outlet opening I8 can be disposed at anyy desiredpoint around the fan I9. 'Asshown in Figure 8, I can utilize a ,collarThis permits the collarv the fan or taken off entirely, so that thefan'Y can throw the dirt and sand in all directions.

Other changes in details may be made without departing from the vspiritor the soope'of my inf`- vention, but what I claim as new is:

1. In adevice for fighting forest fires, a, sup- Y port, a manipulatinghandle, means adjustably Vconnecting the handle-v to theV support, alongi# .tudinally extending drive shaft rotatably carried by the supportand extending through the lower end thereof, a hoodrigidly connected tothe support, a rotary earth diggingmember detachably connected to theshaft belowv the hood, a fan connected tothe shaft and disposed in thehood and above the digger, ysaid hood haVingfan-'outlet,'power meansfork driving Ythe shaft, said'power means including an internalcombustion engine,

and means for suspending kthe internal combustion engine from the backof the operator. j 2. A portable hand tool for fighting forest fireslcomprising, ay sleeve, a longitudinally extending drive shaft rotatablycarried by the sleeve and extending through the lower end thereof, ahoodY non-rotatably connected ton the sleeve, arotary earth-diggingmember connected to the shaft behaving an outlet,`means for driving'theshaft, and a manipulating vand carrying handle secured to the sleeve andextendingV at an angle thereto.

JOHN RALEIGH.

i low the hoodfa fan connected to the shaft4 and `v disposed in the hoodabove the digger, said hood-

